Vita Activa and disposition
11
Apr
Laziness has been treated as a defect for centuries (sometimes unfairly, like
accusing unemployed people of “loafing”), today it’s called procrastination, at its limit it’s led to Burnout Syndrome or Panic Syndrome (they’re different), but both are the result of an exaggerated dose of pressure, stress or work.
International associations already recognize it as a phenomenon that affects health, and the number is much higher than those registered because there is fear of losing one’s job, credibility and isolation.
It is therefore necessary to characterize what phenomenology calls intentionality, using a category that was introduced by Heidegger as disposition, as “a state of mind that precedes any intentionality directed towards an object”, quoting Heidegger: “Disposition has, however, already opened up being-in-the-world as a whole, and first makes it possible to direct oneself towards [something]” (Han, 2023, p. 66).
Thus the disposition is necessary, says Han: “we cannot dispose of the disposition”, “the disposition then constitutes the pre-reflexive framework for activities and actions”, thus, it “can facilitate or prevent de-fined actions” (p. 67).
This framework of thought “is not pure activity and spontaneity” … “the contemplative dimension inhabits it … transforms it into a correspondent“ (idem), this is outlined in Han’s thought at the beginning of this page as an ”originary ontological passivity”.
Not activity, “but being launched” [Geworfenheit] defines this ontological originary, as being-in-the-world originary, for this being to correspond means to that which “addresses us as the voice [Stimme] of being” (p. 67), so listening and listening attentively precedes action and gives rise to disposition.
The correspondent listens to the voice of the call […] it is always necessary … not just by chance and sometimes a disposition [gestimmtes]“, ”the speaking of the correspondent receives its precision” … “rather, it gives the thought a de-finition” (Han, 2023, p. 68).
Thus, action requires, in order of precedence, a call (a voice), a disposition and an intention, and they correspond to a de-defined thought.
By not acting on the thought, we are driven against our previous inertia, our inactivity is not put into action, there is no disposition for it and it creates a conflict in our being.
Han compares it to the inactivity of the machine, which never precedes contemplation, nothing comes of it when it is stationary, it is an inactivity without any action, it is its absence.
If we are driven like machines, without disposition, we face wear and tear in our being-in-the-world, “thinking is always receiving”, hence its in-disposition, its disorder.
Without listening to the voice of our Being, without contemplating, action is machinelike, often difficult and tiring; if it is thought out and paused, it is sure, decisive and achieves true purposes.
Han, B.-C. (2023) Vita Contemplativa Ou sobre a inatividade. Transl. Lucas Machado, Brazil, Petrópolis: RJ.
